Electronic device including a touch-sensitive display and navigation device and method of controlling same

ABSTRACT

A method includes detecting a touch beginning at a first location on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, wherein the touch-sensitive display has a first area and second area. The method also includes, when the touch begins, filtering touch data comprising further processing the touch data when the first location is associated with the first area, and disregarding the touch data associated with the touch when the first location is associated with the second area.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present disclosure relates to electronic devices including but notlimited to portable electronic devices having touch-sensitive displaysand their control.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices, have gainedwidespread use and may provide a variety of functions including, forexample, telephonic, electronic messaging and other personal informationmanager (PIM) application functions. Portable electronic devices includeseveral types of devices including mobile stations such as simplecellular telephones, smart telephones, wireless PDAs, and laptopcomputers with wireless 702.11 or Bluetooth capabilities.

Portable electronic devices such as PDAs or smart telephones aregenerally intended for handheld use and ease of portability. Smallerdevices are generally desirable for portability. A touch-sensitivedisplay, also known as a touchscreen display, is particularly useful onhandheld devices, which are small and have limited space for user inputand output. The information displayed on the touch-sensitive displaysmay be modified depending on the functions and operations beingperformed.

Improvements in devices with touch-sensitive displays are desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in accordancewith the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of a portable electronic device inaccordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of filtering touches on atouch-sensitive display in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 4 through FIG. 8 illustrate examples of touch locations on atouch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device in accordancewith the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following describes an electronic device and method includingdetecting a touch beginning at a first location on a touch-sensitivedisplay of a portable electronic device, wherein the touch-sensitivedisplay has a first area and second area. The method also includes, whenthe touch begins, filtering touch data comprising further processing thetouch data when the first location is associated with the first area,and disregarding the touch data associated with the touch when the firstlocation is associated with the second area.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, reference numerals may berepeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogouselements. Numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding ofthe embodiments described herein. The embodiments may be practicedwithout these details. In other instances, well-known methods,procedures, and components have not been described in detail to avoidobscuring the embodiments described. The description is not to beconsidered as limited to the scope of the embodiments described herein.

The disclosure generally relates to an electronic device, such as aportable electronic device as described herein. Examples of electronicdevices include mobile, or handheld, wireless communication devices suchas pagers, cellular phones, cellular smart-phones, wireless organizers,personal digital assistants, wirelessly enabled notebook computers,tablet computers, mobile internet devices, and so forth. The electronicdevice may be a portable electronic device without wirelesscommunication capabilities, such as a handheld electronic game, digitalphotograph album, digital camera, media player, e-book reader, and soforth.

A block diagram of an example of a portable electronic device 100 isshown in FIG. 1. The portable electronic device 100 includes multiplecomponents, such as a processor 102 that controls the overall operationof the portable electronic device 100. Communication functions,including data and voice communications, are performed through acommunication subsystem 104. Data received by the portable electronicdevice 100 is decompressed and decrypted by a decoder 106. Thecommunication subsystem 104 receives messages from and sends messages toa wireless network 150. The wireless network 150 may be any type ofwireless network, including, but not limited to, data wireless networks,voice wireless networks, and networks that support both voice and datacommunications. A power source 142, such as one or more rechargeablebatteries or a port to an external power supply, powers the portableelectronic device 100.

The processor 102 interacts with other components, such as Random AccessMemory (RAM) 108, memory 110, a display 112 with a touch-sensitiveoverlay 114 operably coupled to an electronic controller 116 thattogether comprise a touch-sensitive display 118, an auxiliaryinput/output (I/O) subsystem 124, a data port 126, a speaker 128, amicrophone 130, short-range communications 132, and other devicesubsystems 134. User-interaction with a graphical user interface isperformed through the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The processor 102interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 via the electroniccontroller 116. Information, such as text, characters, symbols, images,icons, and other items that may be displayed or rendered on a portableelectronic device, is displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118 viathe processor 102. The processor 102 may interact with an accelerometer136 that may be utilized to detect direction of gravitational forces orgravity-induced reaction forces. Optionally, the processor 102 mayinteract with one or more actuators 120 and/or one or more force sensors122.

The processor 102 also interacts with a navigation device 140 such as atouch-sensitive track pad, a trackball, an optical joystick, and soforth, to interface with a user to provide input. The navigation device140 may be utilized, for example, to navigate or scroll throughinformation on a display, control a cursor or other indicator, editinformation, and so forth. In the examples shown, the navigation device140 is located near the touch-sensitive display 118. “Input” as utilizedhereinafter refers to gestures or other contact applied to thenavigation device 140 or the interpretation of the gesture or contact bythe navigation device 140.

To identify a subscriber for network access, the portable electronicdevice 100 uses a Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable UserIdentity Module (SIM/RUIM) card 138 for communication with a network,such as the wireless network 150. Alternatively, user identificationinformation may be programmed into memory 110.

The portable electronic device 100 includes an operating system 146 andsoftware programs or components 148 that are executed by the processor102 and are typically stored in a persistent, updatable store such asthe memory 110. Additional applications or programs may be loaded ontothe portable electronic device 100 through the wireless network 150, theauxiliary I/O subsystem 124, the data port 126, the short-rangecommunications subsystem 132, or any other suitable subsystem 134.

A received signal, such as a text message, an e-mail message, or webpage download, is processed by the communication subsystem 104 and inputto the processor 102. The processor 102 processes the received signalfor output to the display 112 and/or to the auxiliary I/O subsystem 124.A subscriber may generate data items, for example e-mail messages, whichmay be transmitted over the wireless network 150 through thecommunication subsystem 104. For voice communications, the overalloperation of the portable electronic device 100 is similar. The speaker128 outputs audible information converted from electrical signals, andthe microphone 130 converts audible information into electrical signalsfor processing.

The touch-sensitive display 118 may be any suitable touch-sensitivedisplay, such as a capacitive, resistive, infrared, surface acousticwave (SAW) touch-sensitive display, strain gauge, optical imaging,dispersive signal technology, acoustic pulse recognition, and so forth,as known in the art. A capacitive touch-sensitive display includes acapacitive touch-sensitive overlay 114. The overlay 114 may be anassembly of multiple layers in a stack including, for example, asubstrate, a ground shield layer, a barrier layer, one or morecapacitive touch sensor layers separated by a substrate or otherbarrier, and a cover. The capacitive touch sensor layers may be anysuitable material, such as patterned indium tin oxide (ITO).

One or more touches, also known as touch contacts or touch events, maybe detected by the touch-sensitive display 118. The processor 102 maydetermine attributes of the touch, including a location of a touch.Touch location data may include an area of contact or a single point ofcontact, such as a point at or near a center of the area of contact.When a touch begins, one or more signals are provided to the controller116 and the origin of the touch may be determined from the signals. Theorigin may be a point or an area, for example. Signals may be providedto the controller at regular intervals in time for a touch, also knownas sampling, such that changes in location of the touch may be detected.A touch may be detected from any suitable input member, such as afinger, thumb, appendage, or other objects, for example, a stylus, pen,or other pointer, depending on the nature of the touch-sensitive display118. The controller 116 and/or the processor 102 may detect a touch byany suitable input member on the touch-sensitive display 118. Multiplesimultaneous touches may be detected.

One or more gestures may also be detected by the touch-sensitive display118. A gesture, such as a swipe, also known as a flick, is a particulartype of touch on a touch-sensitive display 118 that begins at an originpoint and continues to an end point. A gesture may be identified byattributes of the gesture, including the origin point, the end point,the distance travelled, the duration, the velocity, and the direction,for example. A gesture may be long or short in distance and/or duration.Two points of the gesture may be utilized to determine a direction ofthe gesture. A hover may be a touch at a location that is generallyunchanged over a period of time or is associated with the same selectionitem for a period of time.

The optional actuator(s) 120 may be depressed by applying sufficientforce to the touch-sensitive display 118 to overcome the actuation forceof the actuator 120. The actuator 120 may be actuated by pressinganywhere on the touch-sensitive display 118. The actuator 120 mayprovide input to the processor 102 when actuated. Actuation of theactuator 120 may result in provision of tactile feedback.

The optional force sensor(s) 122 may provide force information relatedto a detected touch. The force information may be utilized to selectinformation, such as information associated with a location of a touch.For example, a touch that does not meet a force threshold may highlighta selection option, whereas a touch that meets a force threshold mayselect or input that selection option. Selection options include, forexample, displayed or virtual keys of a keyboard; selection boxes orwindows, e.g., “cancel,” “delete,” or “unlock” function buttons, such asplay or stop on a music player; and so forth. Different magnitudes offorce may be associated with different functions or input. For example,a lesser force may result in panning, and a higher force may result inzooming.

A front view of an example of the electronic device 100 is shown in FIG.2. The electronic device 100 includes a housing in which thetouch-sensitive display 118 and the navigation device 140 are disposed.The housing and the touch-sensitive display 118 encloses components suchas the components shown in FIG. 1.

The navigation device 140 is located near an edge 204 of thetouch-sensitive display 118. In the orientation illustrated in FIG. 2,the navigation device 140 is located near the bottom edge 204 of thetouch-sensitive display 118 and only a thin strip 206 of the housingextends between the navigation device 140 and the touch-sensitivedisplay 118. The terms bottom, left, right, top, upward, and downward,are utilized to provide reference to the orientation of the electronicdevice in the figures and are not otherwise limiting.

A gesture such as a scrolling gesture on the navigation device 14 mayinadvertently touch the touch-sensitive display. A scrolling gesture, onthe navigation device 140, that is in the direction of thetouch-sensitive display 118 may be detected by the navigation device 140and subsequently detected by the touch-sensitive display 118. In thisexample, the portable electronic device 118 receives a scrolling inpututilizing the navigation device 140, and, after the scrolling input, thetouch begins on the touch-sensitive display 118. A scrolling gesture, onthe navigation device 140, that is in the direction away from thetouch-sensitive display 118 may be detected by the touch-sensitivedisplay 118 and subsequently detected the navigation device 140.

A predetermined area 202 of the touch-sensitive display 118 may beutilized to determine when to filter touches on the touch-sensitivedisplay 118. The predetermined area 202 of the touch-sensitive display118 may be a band or strip that is near the navigation device 140. Forexample, the area may be an area between the edge 204 of thetouch-sensitive display 118 and a line 208 spaced from the edge 204 by adistance. The distance may be a measured distance, e.g., 2 mm or 5 mm,or number of pixels such as 10 pixels. The area may extend the fulllength of the edge 204, from one side of the touch-sensitive display 118to an opposing side of the touch-sensitive display 118. Alternatively,the area may extend only partially along the edge 204. The size of thepredetermined area 202 may be based on the distance of the navigationdevice 140 from the edge 204 of the touch-sensitive display 118. Alarger area may be utilized for an electronic device that includes anavigation device that is very close to the closest edge of thetouch-sensitive display. A comparatively smaller area may be utilizedfor an electronic device that includes a navigation device that isfarther from the closest edge of the touch-sensitive display.

A flowchart illustrating a method of filtering touches on thetouch-sensitive display 118 of the electronic device 100 is shown inFIG. 3. The method may be carried out by software executed, for example,by the processor 102. Coding of software for carrying out such a methodis within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art given thepresent description. The method may contain additional or fewerprocesses than shown and/or described, and may be performed in adifferent order. Computer-readable code executable by at least oneprocessor of the portable electronic device to perform the method may bestored in a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium.

The process may be carried out when any suitable information isdisplayed on the touch-sensitive display 118, and through which a usermay navigate or scroll and/or make selections. The information mayinclude a list, a document, an index, a menu, and so forth. For example,suitable information includes a menu, or information associated with asuitable application, such as, email, text messaging, calendar, tasks,address book, or any other suitable application.

A touch on the touch-sensitive display 118 is detected 302. The touchmay be associated with a selectable feature, such as a key, box, or menuitem, displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118. The touch isdetected when the touch begins on the touch-sensitive display. The touchmay be initiated on another part of the device, such as the housing oron the navigation device 140. The touch does not begin on thetouch-sensitive display 118 until the touch is first detected on thetouch-sensitive display 118, however. The first detected touch locationon the touch-sensitive display 118 is referred to herein as the originon the touch-sensitive display 118. A touch is associated with an areaor a displayed feature when the touch location or a part of the touchlocation coincides with at least part of the area or at least part ofthe displayed feature.

When the touch is detected 302, the origin of the touch is utilized todetermine whether or not to filter the touch data associated with thetouch. When the origin of the touch on the touch-sensitive display 118is associated with the predetermined area at 304, the touch data isdisregarded 306. The touch data, including the origin of the touch onthe touch-sensitive display 118 and all touch data received after firstdetecting the touch, is disregarded. The touch data is not utilized bythe application associated with the information displayed on thetouch-sensitive display 118. When the origin of the touch on thetouch-sensitive display 118 is not associated with the predeterminedarea at 304, the touch data is further processed 308. The touch data maybe further processed by utilizing the touch as input. The touch data maybe reported to the application layer, for example.

The determination of whether or not to filter the touch data is madewhen the touch is first detected on the touch-sensitive display 118, andis not delayed until further touch data is received. The origin of thetouch on the touch-sensitive display 118 is disregarded and all othertouch data that is received subsequent to detecting the touch at theorigin on the touch-sensitive display 118 is disregarded upon receipt.

Examples of touches on the touch-sensitive display 118 of the portableelectronic device 100 are illustrated in FIG. 4 through FIG. 7. Agesture along the navigation device 140 may be utilized, for example, toscroll through displayed information, such as a list of email messages.For example, a gesture in a direction away from the touch-sensitivedisplay 118 causes downward scrolling through the information, and agesture in a direction toward the touch-sensitive display 118 causesupward scrolling through the information. For example, when scrollingquickly, a user may inadvertently touch the touch-sensitive display 118,either before scrolling utilizing the navigation device 140 or afterscrolling utilizing the navigation device 140, depending on thedirection of scrolling.

In the example of FIG. 4, selectable features such as icons 402 aredisplayed on the touch-sensitive display 118. An example of a gesturealong the navigation device 140 is illustrated by the arrow 404. Thetouch continues from the navigation device 140 to the touch-sensitivedisplay 118 and the touch is first detected at the origin illustrated bythe ellipse 406 on the touch-sensitive display 118. The origin on thetouch-sensitive display 118 is associated with the predetermined area202 and all touch data associated with the touch is disregarded.

An example of a touch location on the touch-sensitive display 118 isillustrated by the ellipse 506 in FIG. 5. The touch is detected at thetouch location 506 on the touch-sensitive display 118. The touch isassociated with an area of the touch-sensitive display 118, which areais not associated with the predetermined area 202. The touch is furtherprocessed by, for example, selecting the one of the icons 402 associatedwith the touch.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, a touch is first detected at thetouch location illustrated by the ellipse 606 on the touch-sensitivedisplay 118. The touch is associated with the predetermined area 202 andall touch data associated with the touch is disregarded. In the exampleillustrated in FIG. 6, the touch is a gesture that continues along thepath illustrated by the arrow 604. The touch data is disregarded whenthe touch is first detected on the touch-sensitive display 118. Furthertouch data is also disregarded as the touch continues along the pathillustrated by the arrow 604.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the touch-sensitive display 118 isin a landscape orientation and information is displayed in the landscapeorientation. For example, selectable features 702 are displayed. Thepredetermined area 202 is a band that extends along the edge 204 that isclosest to the navigation device 140. A touch is first detected at theorigin on the touch-sensitive display 118 illustrated by the ellipse706. The touch is associated with the predetermined area 202 and alltouch data associated with the touch is disregarded.

The method of filtering described with reference to FIG. 3 may be turnedon and off, for example, based on the information displayed on thetouch-sensitive display 118, the current application, and so forth. Forexample, filtering may be turned off when information that is notscrollable is displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118. Filteringmay also be turned off when a keyboard is displayed to facilitateselection of keys of the keyboard. Each application may control thefiltering such that filtering may be turned on or off by the applicationassociated with the information displayed on the touch-sensitive display118. Optionally, the user may be provided with a selectable option toturn on or off filtering.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, a keyboard 802 is displayed on thetouch-sensitive display 118. When the keyboard 802 is displayed thetouch-sensitive display 118, filtering is turned off. The touchillustrated by the ellipse 806 is processed, and the “space” key 804 isselected, even though the ellipse 806 would be associated with thepredetermined area, such as the predetermined area 202 of FIG. 5 whenfiltering is turned on.

Another example of a portable electronic device 900 is illustrated inFIG. 9. In the example illustrated in FIG. 9, the portable electronicdevice 900 includes a physical keyboard 902, a touch-sensitive display918, which may operate similarly to and have similar components astouch-sensitive display 118, and a navigation device 940 between thekeyboard 902 and the touch-sensitive display 918. A touch that is firstdetected in the predetermined area 908 and all touch data associatedwith the touch are disregarded. In the example illustrated in FIG. 9,the predetermined area 908 does not extend across the entiretouch-sensitive display 118 and is shown centered above the navigationdevice 940.

A touch-sensitive display that is located close to a navigation devicemay be inadvertently touched during use of the navigation device, andthe navigation device may be inadvertently touched during use of thetouch-sensitive display. Performing functions in response to inadvertenttouches may result in corrective action that utilizes further devicetime and additional power, and may result in user frustration ordissatisfaction. Filtering, such as described above, based on touchlocation may reduce device use time, reduce power requirements, andimprove the user interface. Processing of touch data is not delayeduntil further touch data is received because processing begins when thetouch is first detected on the touch-sensitive display. Processing oftouch data is more responsive with the filtering method describedbecause unnecessary delays are not introduced in order to beginprocessing the touch data.

A method includes detecting a touch beginning at a first location on atouch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, wherein thetouch-sensitive display has a first area and second area. The methodalso includes, when the touch begins, filtering touch data comprisingfurther processing the touch data when the first location is associatedwith the first area, and disregarding the touch data associated with thetouch when the first location is associated with the second area.

A portable electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display, anavigation device, and a processor. The processor is operably coupled tothe touch-sensitive display to detect a touch beginning at a firstlocation on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the touch-sensitivedisplay has a first area and second area, and when the touch begins,filter touch data by further processing the touch data when the firstlocation is associated with the first area, and disregarding the touchdata associated with the touch when the first location is associatedwith the second area.

A method includes detecting a touch beginning at a first location on atouch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, determiningwhen the first location is associated with a predetermined area of thetouch-sensitive display, and when the touch is associated with thepredetermined area, disregarding the touch data associated with thetouch.

The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is, therefore,indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription. All changes that come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. A method comprising: detecting a touch beginning at a first locationon a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, whereinthe touch-sensitive display has a first area and second area; when thetouch begins, filtering touch data comprising: further processing thetouch data when the first location is associated with the first area;and disregarding the touch data associated with the touch when the firstlocation is associated with the second area.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, wherein further processing comprises reporting the touch to anapplication layer.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the firstlocation comprises the first detected touch location.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein disregarding the touch data comprises adisregarding the first detected touch location and all subsequent dataassociated with the touch.
 5. The method according to claim 1, whereinfiltering is discontinued when a keyboard is displayed on thetouch-sensitive display.
 6. The method according to claim 1, whereinfiltering is controlled by an application associated with informationdisplayed on the touch-sensitive display.
 7. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the second area comprises an area near a navigationdevice of the portable electronic device.
 8. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the second area comprises an area along an edge of thetouch-sensitive display, which edge is near a navigation device of theportable electronic device.
 9. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe second area comprises an area that extends a distance of less than10 pixels from an edge of the touch-sensitive display.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area cover aface of the touch-sensitive display.
 11. The method according to claim1, wherein the second area extends at least partially over a non-displayarea of the touch-sensitive display.
 12. The method according to claim1, wherein the second area is adjacent a single edge of thetouch-sensitive display.
 13. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe size of the second area is related to the distance from thenavigation device to the touch-sensitive display.
 14. Acomputer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by atleast one processor of a portable electronic device to perform themethod according to claim
 1. 15. A portable electronic devicecomprising: a touch-sensitive display; a navigation device; a processoroperably coupled to the touch-sensitive display to detect a touchbeginning at a first location on the touch-sensitive display, whereinthe touch-sensitive display has a first area and second area, and whenthe touch begins, filter touch data by further processing the touch datawhen the first location is associated with the first area, anddisregarding the touch data associated with the touch when the firstlocation is associated with the second area.
 16. The electronic deviceaccording to claim 15, wherein the first location comprises the firstdetected touch location.
 17. The electronic device according to claim15, wherein the second area is along an edge of the touch-sensitivedisplay, which edge is near the navigation device.
 18. The electronicdevice according to claim 15, wherein the second area extends over atleast a portion of a non-display area of the touch-sensitive display.19. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein touch data thatis disregarded comprises a first detected touch location andsubsequently received data associated with the touch.
 20. A methodcomprising: detecting a touch beginning at a first location on atouch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device; determiningwhen the first location is associated with a predetermined area of thetouch-sensitive display; when the touch is associated with thepredetermined area, disregarding the touch data associated with thetouch.